Shadow and Bones (Dullahan Book 1)

by Ryvr Jones

  Blood.

  Horrified, she remembered three corpses hovering over her. They had slashed her wrists and her neck, while she was too weak and dizzy to do anything. She hadn’t been able even to call for help. They had collected blood from her in three vials.

  So much blood.

  Her life draining from her, flowing with the blood in great gushes, pooling on the floor, taking her away from Rhys.

  She called for him, and he knelt beside her. He was in his skeletal form and couldn’t talk, but she could feel his words on her soul.

  “No, don’t go. You said you’d stay with me. You promised.”He touched her face, his bones white and smooth. He was in pain, he was hurting. “If you die, I’ll destroy the world. Don’t go. I need you.”He could only see darkness, darkness. He was drowning.“Don’t go.”

  Blood, her blood, her life slipping away through her fingers.

  Tamerah tried to tell him, I won’t go. I will fight. I’ll never leave you alone.

  But darkness swallowed her…until Seersha’s voice pulled her back. “I won’t let you die.”

  Lightning struck her body. Searing, agonizing pain ran through her veins.

  Rhys took her hand while she cried, his empty eyes watching over her, lending her strength. She tried to say,I don’t want to die. I want to stay with you.

  He couldn’t hear her. He was so sad. “I’m so sorry, Tarani.”

  Then she had awoken in this pitch black nothingness.

  Tears filled Tamerah’s eyes. Tarani. She loved that he’d given her a name, as if she belonged to him. An emotion she didn’t want to name swelled in her chest, taking over everything that she was. She wanted to belong to him. To make him hers.

  Scratch that.

  He is mine. He belongs to me.

  She just needed to figure out how to go back to him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  After what seemed like hours, a very, very, very handsome Enforcer entered the dungeon. The fuckers were all easy on the eyes—due to their creator’s vanity, Seersha was sure—but Belenos always chose one of the most attractive of his vessels when he wanted to walk the Earth.

  This one was a blond with deep green eyes, square jaw and full lips. He was tall and muscular, a trait common to his breed. What’s the point of wearing a sexy body when you probably don’t even have a dick?

  Belenos’ booming voice broke the silence. “Again, breaking the Rules, endangering humans.” He stood in front of her. “When will you learn, little bridge?”

  Seersha snorted. “You don’t care about humans or the Rules. You just want to get your rocks off on power, on hurting people. I’d say you should try BDSM, but it requires consent, and I think you enjoy fucking others against their will.”

  He backhanded her, snarling, “Show more respect for your betters, servant of Death.”

  “Show me one of my betters and I’ll show due respect. All I see here,” she said, looking defiantly into his eyes, “is a dick without a dick who thinks he’s scary. The sad truth is he’s just delusional.”

  Belenos backhanded her again, harder. “Address me properly, or I will extend your punishment.”

  “You can go fuck yourself for all I care,” she spat, wishing she could give him the finger. “You’re not the boss of me, despite what you think. You were given a job, and that’s why you were allowed to create the Enforcers. To take care of clean up. You’re the boss of the cleaning department, nothing more.”

  The blow came swiftly, exploding on her nose with the force of a jackhammer. It hurt like a motherfucker, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying out. “You had to go for the nose, didn’t you?” Blood trickled down her face. “It’s going to be a pain in the ass to fix. And I did such a good job last time, damn it. What a waste.”

  “You don’t understand, little bridge. You have to follow the Rules.” He walked around her, his hands clasped behind his back as he lectured her. “They exist for a reason. You’re obligated to occupy your role, keep your head down, and serve the purpose you were created to fulfill.” He stopped in front of her. “You don’t have a choice.”

  “Oh, but I do.” She smiled, blood coming down her mouth to her chin. “You see, my mother gave me a soul. And it comes with this pesky little thing called free will. Unlike your pathetic minions, I’ll always have a choice.” She licked her lips. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  Another blow, this time to the side of her head. Her neck creaked with the violence of the sideways movement. She blinked, trying to focus her blurred vision. “You’re…so brave,” she slurred, “beating up a bound woman who couldn’t take you on even if she was free.”

  A punch to the stomach. Unable to bend over, she hung from the shackles, her knees faltering. Bile rose to her throat. “Or maybe…” She gagged, dry heaves shaking her entire body. “…maybe you have me bound because you’re afraid I could take you on.”

  The next blow came to her mouth, splitting her upper lip. More blood flooded her tongue. Her eyes watered from the pain, and she hated that he could see it.

  Belenos leaned into her personal space. “From now on, I will ask questions, and you will limit yourself to giving me the answers I seek. Understood?”

  She didn’t say anything. He grabbed her hair in a painful grasp, tugging it back to tilt her head up until she was sure he would leave her bald.

  “Understood?” he barked in her face, tightening his grip.

  Seersha spat blood on his face. “Fuck you.”

  He didn’t bother cleaning it up. Still griping her hair, he gave her another punch in the stomach. The pain darkened her vision, and she gasped, choking on the blood going down her throat.

  “Who is responsible for the incident in the library?”

  “If…” Seersha gurgled. She tried to swallow the blood, unsuccessfully, so she let it drip off her mouth. “If…If you don’t know, why am I here?”

  He twisted her hair harder, almost ripping it off. “You removed four living beings from the library. You know that’s the reason you were brought here. Who is responsible for the incident?”

  “I am.”

  “I doubt it. You’re too shrewd to make such a stupid mistake. The gravediggers are responsible, aren’t they? You shouldn’t be punished for their mistakes.” He gave her a cold smile. “Tell me and I’ll let you go.”

  Bastard. Caeron and Rhys hadn’t broke the Rules. She’d taken them away from the library in the nick of time, and that was the only reason why the Enforcers hadn’t brought them to the dungeon.

  Besides, she would be punished anyway. She knew Belenos was just getting started. But unlike her, the gravediggers wouldn’t survive a visit to the Enforcers’ dungeon. Belenos would kill them just to spite her. “Bite me.”

  “Why are you protecting them? They can be easily replaced. They were stupid enough to have caused this mess.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed, “they’re morons. But they are mine. They’re my family, which is something you’ll never comprehend. No matter what, no matter what you do to me, I’ll always stand for them.”

  He released her abruptly, standing back. Her neck shrieked in protest from being bent in an awkward position for so long. Her head fell towards her chest, and for a moment she couldn’t raise it. Everything hurt, her muscles screaming in agony, her ribs bruised, her stomach burning as if she’d swallowed liquid fire.

  The worst physical pain she’d ever known had always come through Belenos’ hand. She hated him more than anything, even more than the Abyss itself and all the shit that lived there.

  “You are a stupid, foolish girl. Family,” he said, his mouth curling in distaste, “is just a fancy notion humans created in order to ensure the survival of the species.”

  Seersha managed to lift her head, piercing him with her gaze. “I still have his soul.” She couldn’t avoid a grin stretching her lips, reopening the gashes. “You’ll never get your paws on him. I promise you.”

  The asshole un
sheathed the knife all Enforcers carried with them and stepped closer to her. “Maybe you can be persuaded to release it to me.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it, you know. I’m stubborn as shit.” Sadly, she knew it would be a while before he was once again convinced of that fact.

  He sliced her right arm from the wrist almost to the shoulder, a thin and deep cut. Fiery pain climbed her limb, while blood started to drip on the floor. Seersha bit her lower lip with such force to avoid screaming, she opened a cut to go with the one on the upper lip.

  “Where is the soul, little bridge?”

  “That…that knife is sharp as fuck. Be careful to keep it away from your dick.” She eyed his crotch. “By the way, do you even have a dick, dick? I’m curious.”

  He made a matching slash on her left arm. She managed to keep her mouth shut, but her knees gave away, putting her weight on her wrists and stretching the skin of her arms, making the cuts hurt even more. Her vision darkened, her body hanging limp from the shackles. Control of her muscles and joints was a distant dream, and she abandoned the idea of raising her head or standing on her feet.

  If only I was capable of losing consciousness. It would be perfect right about now.

  “Maybe I will kill you and be done with it. I don’t need that pathetic soul, not really,” he said, faking nonchalance.

  She tried to snort, but it came out as gasp. Whatever. “Never try to bullshit a bullshitter, you moron.” She closed her eyes. Her head was spinning and her field of vision was diminishing rapidly anyway. “I know…I know exactly how much and for what you need his soul. Therefore, I know you won’t kill me.” She coughed. “Not now, not ever.”

  “Maybe not,” he conceded. “But you will be punished for your transgression. And you will scream. This is my promise to you.”

  He plunged the knife in her gut, pushing it until the hilt was resting against her belly.

  This time, she did scream.

  As Rhys approached his room, where Tarani was resting, he felt the darkness stir inside him. Undulating under his skin, trying to get free, to swallow him whole and drag him under.

  No. I promised.

  He focused on the point of light that was Tarani, always floating inside his consciousness. She was there, but…What the hell? The light was muted, and it was flickering. No!

  His legs couldn’t carry him fast enough. He burst through the door, ready to fight whatever was trying to hurt her.

  There was nothing.

  She appeared to be sleeping peacefully, her breath steady, her face serene. But he knew, to his old, stubborn bones, that something was wrong. He could feel her fear. It fed the darkness bubbling inside his chest, laughing at him.

  “Tarani is lost to you.” a voice said.

  Rhys turned around. He could hear Caeron and the historian climbing the stairs, coming to help him. But there was nobody with him in the room, living or otherwise.

  “She’s mine now.” the voice cackled. “She will be forever in the dark, and you will be alone until the end.”

  “No!” Panic rose fast, cutting his control. He grabbed the sword he’d left beside the door. “Who are you? Show yourself!”

  “She’s mine, and it’s your fault.”

  Caeron entered the room, Nell on his heels. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” Rhys said. “Somebody is talking shit to me, but I don’t know where the fucker is.”

  “Don’t you recognize me, after all this time?”

  “Who are you?” Rhys turned around again.

  “There’s nobody here besides you, Nell and me.” Caeron gaped at him as if he was crazy. “I’m not hearing anything.”

  The disembodied voice laughed.

  Maybe I’m finally going insane.

  Rhys gave the sword to Caeron and sat on the bed. He brushed Tarani’s hair back from her face, then grasped her hand. “I’m here, silver light. Don’t be afraid.”

  His arm tingled. The darkness surfaced on his skin, painting black lines over his hand, snaking towards her fingers. Horrified, he tried to let her go, but his muscles wouldn’t respond to his command.

  “Holy shit!” Caeron gasped.

  Rhys wanted to ask for help, but his mouth didn’t move. Frozen in place, unable to do anything, he watched as the black lines got closer to Tarani. Her light dimmed again, flickering and sputtering.

  No. No no no. Please, Gods, no.

  He tried with all his might to pry his hand free, to get away from her. Caeron touched him, shouting something he couldn’t hear.

  “She’s mine now.” the voice proclaimed gleefully. “Come. We await you.”

  In the next second, Rhys was back at the Abyss.

  It was the same as always, dark and silent, the stench of decay and putrefaction revolting his stomach, making him gag. Yet it was different.

  There’s someone else here.

  Terrified, Rhys waited to see what new kind of torture the Abyss had devised this time. Every time he’d been inside the beast’s belly, at first there was only this dead quiet, this ominous nothingness.

  Until the creatures that lurked in the shadows came out to devour him.

  His breath hitched. There was something else this time, a presence.

  “Rhys?” Tarani’s voice taunted him. He covered his ears.

  The worse wasn’t even being torn apart and eaten alive by the creatures—it was the form they assumed. The Abyss knew his deepest fears, his biggest failures, his most painful regrets. The creatures showed him, in vivid detail, the wreck and ruin he’d caused during his miserable life.

  Now they would use Tarani as well. His failure to protect her, to keep her from harm. He didn’t even know what was happening to her right now, if the darkness had touched her. Infected her.

  I’m so sorry, Tarani.

  Something touched his arm and he recoiled, taking a step back.

  “Rhys. I can feel you.” The voice again. “Don’t be sorry.”

  A flickering light, one he’d recognize anywhere. He almost fell to his knees under the wave of grief. It can’t be. Gods, no.

  “What’s wrong?” The light disappeared and flared to life again, weak.

  “Tarani?” He reached for her, and she was solid, glowing faintly. Her fresh scent was barely there under the stench, but it was really her.

  She grasped his fingers. “Where are we?”

  “This is the Abyss.” He tugged her to him, glad to feel her between his arms, terrified to his core that she was here. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. “This is my fault. The darkness…I lost control and it touched you. I’ve brought you here, Gods, what have I done?”

  “It’s going to be okay.” She hugged him. “We’ll get through this, together. It doesn’t even seem so bad.”

  “It will get bad.” He didn’t want to scare her, but he couldn’t lie either. “It’s always like this in the beginning. Then they come.” A shudder wracked his body. “You need to go back. You need to…” His voice died. He didn’t know how to get out of the Abyss. There was no place to hide. Nowhere to run.

  Red light flooded the space. They stood in a long corridor, which dissolved into absolute darkness at both ends. He tightened his embrace. “Forgive me, Tarani.”

  “You have forsaken your duty.” A whisper.

  A deformed, bloody Brianna came from the darkness, limping with rotten legs. Her eye sockets were empty, blackened blood flowing from the horrendous holes down a pale and contorted face.

  “Traitor. Coward. You must pay.”

  The creature advanced on them, gnarled fingers reaching for him.

  “You betrayed your Goddess. You abandoned your Mistress. You must be punished. Coward. Traitor.”

  Other voices joined the whisper, chanting obscene and sacrilegious words. Pain slashed through him, splitting him in two, and he was bleeding, his knees collided with the floor.

  “Coward. Traitor. Liar.”

  “Rhys!” Tarani knelt beside him. “Look at
me.” She took his face in her hands, her eyes full of light, transparent and pure like water from the Sacred Lake. “Stay with me. Don’t go.”

  There was fear in her voice, she would die and it was his fault.

  “She’s mine now.” the voice cackled.

  No. “Let her go!”

  Brianna’s fingers touched his face. “Why did you left me to die alone, Ryanne?” Black, rotten nails cut his face, opening gashes down his cheek. “I feel so alone, rotting in the darkness, why didn’t you protect me?”

  With a roar, Tarani surged to her feet and pushed Brianna away. “Leave him alone, you piece of shit!” The creature stumbled and hissed, but Tarani didn’t back off. “He’s mine!”

  Rhys tried to get to his feet. I need to protect Tarani. Keep her safe. Poisonous vines sprung from the floor, entwining around his legs and arms, binding him in his kneeling position, burning his skin.

  More creatures ambled from the darkness, all of them from his past. His mother, his father. His sister. His brothers in arms. All of them grotesquely deformed, their bodies decayed, empty eyes bleeding black blood.

  “We’re all dead because of you. Bound in the darkness.”

  “Coward. Traitor.”

  “You deserve to rot.”

  They closed in on Tarani, who stood her ground.

  “He’s mine,” she growled. “You can’t have him.”

  Rhys was rotting before her eyes.

  We’re not physically here. This is his soul. His poor, battered, rotting soul.

  Tamerah’s heart clenched. The creatures advanced, step by hobbling step. The one closer to her resembled the Sheramath, but she knew it wasn’t her.

  Struggling with his bindings, Rhys howled in pain. His stomach had been cut open, and his guts were sliding out. Tamerah heaved.

  I need to help him.

  She fought her panic and her revulsion, wishing she knew how to fight like Nell. A couple of daggers would be useful right now. Clenching her teeth, she took a small step forward.

  The Brianna-creature took a step back. Tamerah tilted her head. “Are you afraid of me, you disgusting piece of rotten meat?” Scrounging up all her courage, she stepped forward an inch. The creature took another small step back.